Pain
by YinYangSisters
Summary: AxC ONE SHOT. Athrun and Cagalli, during the first war on the Archangel. My third fic, enjoy. I know there are a few errors, but when I corrected them it didnt save and bla bla...


Pain

He lent forward against the railing of the battle ship, his eyebrows creased with the thoughts running through his once clear mind. Everything that had happened, everything that he was lead to believe...all a lie? Athrun's thin, long hands curled into a tight fist, as he slamming it hard down onto the cold metal pole, cursing his own innocent confusion.

Why was he really here? Fighting for what purpose now? He had always believed that he fought to protect the people of his country, his home, his own kind.

(_Flashback)_

_He pointed a gun at Lacus Clyne, who sat on one side of the stage, calmly, him standing at the other, distressed and frustrated. _

"_Why it is that you're here, Athrun? What is it that you're fighting for now? Is it for those medals you've received? Or your father's orders?"_

His chest choked on itself, at her blunt and harsh words, stealing his oxygen, and his sanity all at once. It tightened painfully hard, it was almost unbearable, forcing him to let out a breathless, "DAMNIT!" as his knees almost sunk to the cold tiled floor, tears escaping his eyes clouded and weary eyes.

He gazed at the floor, re-living his memories of when he met Kira, then of when he had to leave him, of his dear mother dying, the day he decided to join ZAFT, the day he saw Kira again, the day he had to fight him, the day he met Cagalli Yula Attha; the girl who had single-handedly gashed an in-healable wound in his thinking.

Then of when had thought he killed Kira, his best friend, and Cagalli and him yelling in anguish at each other, then her yelling the words of cold hard fact; that no peace could ever come from killing. And then of when...

He smiled. He fingered the red jewel around his neck, with a smile of remembrance on his tear stained face.

The time she stole his heart; without a second thought.

At that moment, the princess herself floated in. She must've heard him curse loudly, and knowing her caring nature, came to see if he was okay. Probably to see if he was as confused and frustrated as she was. They were both weird that way; felt the exact same feelings, though in different situations entirely.

She didn't look at him, just floated in, and stood beside him, staring out at the beauty of space. She knew he never liked it when people saw him in a weak and helpless state, for she was the same.

He watched her; while her eyes also filled with the same emotions his held, her face slightly expressionless, as her tears orbited her angelic face. With her perfect slender fingers, she touched the smallest and furthest star she could see.

"For what reason, is this happening?"

Her words were only just above a whisper; almost scared to say what they were both thinking.

Athrun straightened, and turned at an angle, so he could see both her, and the stars. Though the stars had no place in his mind or heart; only her.

He gazed at her, while he remembered what _she_ had gone through. A loss of a father, a loss of trust in her own country, a loss of friends, a gaining of a brother, a lie she was lead to believe her entire life. Like him.

Then he too, turned his attention to the stars, but kept a close eye on her reflection. They were both silent, trying to answer her question. Their mind would first think, 'For Coordinators, for their birth, maybe?' but then go even further and think, 'For Naturals, because they made Coordinators, maybe?'

It would never end.

And while they thought, they knew innocent lives were dying; for what reason? Is there even a reason good enough to justify a person's death? A right for whether a person lives, or dies? Can it justify why their beloved parents had to die?! Why their own friends, comrades, their own innocent people, had to suffer the consequences of the hatred thrown at each other?!

He knew she was thinking the exact same thing, as they both turned their heads at the exact same time, their eyes locking, the tears seeping out, not being able to stay hidden within their pained eyes anymore.

The next thing they knew, they were clinging to each other, crying, weeping, sobbing; doing every form of suffering possible. They gripped each others backs and waits hard; like a life line, as if, if they let go, they would themselves go; everything that they have worked for up to this point, vanish before their sorrow filed eyes.

"Why?!" she cried into his chest, as he cried into her neck, breathing in his scent, which he felt, welcomed him, for who he was.

"Why is this happening?! I don't understand! Athrun...why?" Her face was screwed up slightly, in pain, anguish, hurt. Even the mere looks on her face, made him want to stop everything negative in this world.

Even when he felt he couldn't cope with problems alone, at that second, he wanted to forget all of that, just to protect her.

"I don't know, Cagalli..." he whispered into her neck again, while she cried into his chest, her back pulsing up and down at the intensity of her pain. She gripped his shirt hard, not wanting him to leave her as well.

"I don't think we will ever know, for sure." He pulled back, to look her in the eye, to show her that she wasn't alone. They would go through all this together.

"Why...why do they hate each other so much?" he words we plain and simple, muffled slightly, as she hiccupped into his shirt. He leaned his head onto her own head and shoulder, hiccupping also, as more silent tears revolved around the two. That's when he actually realized.

He was a Coordinator, as she, a Natural.

He had never thought of that. He had never considered her as a Natural, but just as...Cagalli. He thought of her to be just like him, equal. Then he understood her question fully.

"Why do they hate each other so much, when we love each other so dearly?"

He kissed her neck, not having the energy to lean up and kiss her cheek instead. "I really don't know Cagalli..." he hated not being able to answer her questions, their own questions. They were silent for a while, as they just held each other, the tears floating around them, watching the pair.

"Well," she said, as she raised her head, making him raise his, so they were only inches apart. "All we can do now is stop them. Make them realize." They both smiled, with glazed eyes at each other.

"Make them love." He said, as he closed the space between their cleansed, damp faces, with a loving, sweet kiss. They then rested their foreheads onto each others, and stared at each other while the stars watched _them_ this time. And for the first time since the war, they let out tears of something they thought had abandoned them long ago, along with love.

Happiness.


End file.
